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Re: Hexpack

Ben: There are two different items here. The first is the piecepack system itself, which is public domain. Anyone can go out and make a set for piecpeack (with their own graphics). This is unlike most game systems that are privately owned (e.g. Settlers of Catan). Mayfair would not allow you to make copies of Settlers of Catan and then sell them on the market. However, any manufacturer can make a piecepack set, if they choose. The second item are the graphics themselves. The graphics can be copyrighted (as is true in this case). Many folks maintain a copyright on their piecepack graphics but put them out there on the web with "permission allowed to copy for personal use only". This is for Joe Gamer, who wants to make their own set. In the case of the JCD graphics set, we have a specific license agreement for the graphics that allows us to manufacture sets for sale using these graphics. This is stated on our website and printed on the covers of the sets we sell. This specific license is what allows us to put them on the sets we engrave and sell. We also have created one or two other piecepack sets - such as a Zodiac set. We licensed those graphics from a different source, under different terms. For graphics we created, we own the copyright to them and can modify as we require. Piecepack game rules are also a separate matter. We do not have licensing permission to include rules that were made for Piecepack. That's why we sell sets without the rules and point to links where rules can be found. 
Steve Jones
Blue Panther LLC
steve@... writes:
The Hexpack standard, like Piecepack, is public domain. 

Where can I find that declaration for Hexpack? I couldn't see it in
the downloadable file archives from the hexpack.org site. 
Mr Dietrich has been very kind to grant us a license to use the JCD
graphic set


To whom is this license granted? Is it granted to the general public?
Do you have a URL to the license text from JCD to the general public
so we can see what is actually granted, and under what terms? 
so we can move the graphics and change the size slightly to address
the issues.


It's not clear that "license to use" allows modifications like this
under most copyright jurisdictions, which is one reason why I'd like
to be clear on what license exactly has been granted to us by the
copyright holder.
The proprietors of hexpack.org have also been helpful in this regard. 

I'm glad (truly!) that you've been able to work with these copyright
holders and produce sich fine goods. My questions (that I don't
necessarily expect you to answer on behalf of the copyright holders)
relates to what license is granted to the general public, not just to
specific parties.
Time to get back to that graphics program and make some edits. 

I'd love to, once I know what edits I'm allowed to make beyond the
default of "all rights reserved" copyright. 
--
 \     .When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. |
  `\    Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole |
_o__)                   one and asked Him to forgive me.. .Emo Philips |
Ben Finney